Sunshine villages
Verghese Joseph
In order to meet a minimum of 25 per cenr of the state’ energy requirements, Karnataka is planning a self-sustaining solar technology programme for rural areas and small towns. The planned rural Solar Technology Project will be initiated in village clusters of 39 most backward talukas of the state. The project is expected to cater to the energy needs of about five million people and 3900 villages.
According to Dr H Naganagouda, Assistant General Manager, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KREDL), “Solar power can be used for street lights, household consumption, entertainment or educational purposes, water lifting for irrigation, drinking water supply, for purification and desalination plants.” KREDL has invited solar technology providers to design, finance, build, operate, maintain and collect user-fee for providing solar energy on a sustainable basis for the specified village clusters. “Solar or hybrid power plants may provide power either through a local mini-grid or stand alone grid or be made available at a charging station, enabling residents to charge their electrical appliances,” said Naganagouda. The Rural Solar Technology Project will initially have a concession period of 10 years to be extended by another 10 years. KREDL will be the facilitator along Verghese Joseph with the respective power distribution companies and will be co-ordinated by the department of rural development and panchayat raj.
Supporting the grid The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) is also setting up three solar power projects to tap renewable energy sources. It is taking up the projects on a pilot basis at an estimated cost of Rs 225 crore. In January 2009, B S Yeddyurappa, the state chief minister laid the foundation stone for the country’s first ever, 3 Mw solar photovoltaic power plant at Yelesandra in Kolar district. The power from the plant will be supplied to the state grid through an 11 KV transmission line. The cost of each Mw will be in the range of Rs 25 crore. Karnataka is expected to start supplying solar power to the state power grid by December when two of the three grid-connected solar power projects taken up will be completed.
KPCL Managing Director S M Jaamdar said that the solar power plants taken by the KPCL in Kolar and Chikkodi would be completed by December. The company will use the solar photovoltaic modular crystalline technology for this entire project. The solar plants are being implemented under the Arunodaya scheme for ensuring assured power supply to rural areas, especially irrigation pump sets. Each of these project sites has close to 500 such sets in their vicinity. The three plants are expected to generate a total of four million units of power a year. These plants will supply 3 Mw of power during the day to the state grid, enough to irrigate 1,200 acres.
